RB Unga won't travel with Bears for Giants game

Harvey Unga with the ball during the second half of a preseason game against the Bills at Soldier Field. (Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE, US PRESSWIRE)

Running back Harvey Unga will not travel with the Chicago Bears to New York Sunday evening for the team's second exhibition game Monday against the Giants.

Unga, who remains excused for personal reasons according to his agent Eric Metz, missed nearly a week of training camp previously to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child. The specific reason for Unga's absence this time is not known. The team has not announced a roster move involving Unga.

The former BYU star returned to camp in time for the Bears' first exhibition game and rushed for 27 yards on nine carries, including a nine-yard run where he carried a host of tacklers as offensive linemen pushed him forward.

Unga, who was selected in the supplemental draft last summer with a seventh-round pick, faced an uphill battle to make the roster following the addition of Marion Barber in free agency. He missed all last year after being placed on injured reserve with a hamstring pull.

Now, it's inconceivable the Bears will consider Unga for the 53-man roster. He was excused for a second time beginning with practice Thursday night at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. Considering the time Unga has missed, he might also be hard pressed to push for a spot on the practice squad.